I am not a product of my circumstances.
"Pie is the perfect snack for any time." She countered, her smile widening as they made their way down the street. Luckily, it didn't take long to enter her cozy home, the fireplace burning bright enough to cast a warm glow across the multitudes of books filling her shelves. Elizabeth gestured for Sah to take a seat at one of her plush chairs that faced the fire while she scurried into the kitchen for a moment.
The pies were perfectly golden when she removed them from the oven, making her mouth salivate with anticipation. But they needed time to cool, and there were more serious topics to attend to at the moment. She gathered some mint tea, hoping it might calm their nerves against the threat that had quite literally landed on their doorsteps.
When she entered the room again, Sah had already begun rattling options. Elizabeth listened as she offered him a cup of piping tea, settling into her own chair comfortably. She removed her notebook from the small table between them, full of patient meetings and observations, and flipped to an empty page. Her pen elegantly wrote out the choices before coming to sit at the corner of her mouth. None of them necessarily appealed to her, but she agreed that they didn't have many other options.
She quietly took a sip of her tea like it might provide some clarity. When it didn't, she hummed thoughtfully to herself. "Hmmm... I fear that returning the bird or refusing to return it may send the wrong message to the Family. They would either see us as definite enemies or people to be bullied into submission." Tilting her head, she looked to Sah. "I also agree that our other option for completing the quest would be much more difficult and time consuming." A trip to Starfall would be dangerous and was not guaranteed to succeed where they currently had a solution in their possession.
That left only one option.
Sighing, she shrugged her shoulders. "As difficult as it may be, I think our only choice is to negotiate. We present it as a lapse in consideration on our parts and request an exchange of some kind." She spun the pen through her fingers as she thought. "I'm not sure what they'd ask for, but I think that alone would give us a lot of information. If we can find out what they want, it could be easier to stay on their good side." Unlike many others, Elizabeth wasn't against making deals with people deemed 'enemies.' Everyone had their reasons for their actions and decisions. She didn't judge. She only analyzed and assisted where she could.
The pies were perfectly golden when she removed them from the oven, making her mouth salivate with anticipation. But they needed time to cool, and there were more serious topics to attend to at the moment. She gathered some mint tea, hoping it might calm their nerves against the threat that had quite literally landed on their doorsteps.
When she entered the room again, Sah had already begun rattling options. Elizabeth listened as she offered him a cup of piping tea, settling into her own chair comfortably. She removed her notebook from the small table between them, full of patient meetings and observations, and flipped to an empty page. Her pen elegantly wrote out the choices before coming to sit at the corner of her mouth. None of them necessarily appealed to her, but she agreed that they didn't have many other options.
She quietly took a sip of her tea like it might provide some clarity. When it didn't, she hummed thoughtfully to herself. "Hmmm... I fear that returning the bird or refusing to return it may send the wrong message to the Family. They would either see us as definite enemies or people to be bullied into submission." Tilting her head, she looked to Sah. "I also agree that our other option for completing the quest would be much more difficult and time consuming." A trip to Starfall would be dangerous and was not guaranteed to succeed where they currently had a solution in their possession.
That left only one option.
Sighing, she shrugged her shoulders. "As difficult as it may be, I think our only choice is to negotiate. We present it as a lapse in consideration on our parts and request an exchange of some kind." She spun the pen through her fingers as she thought. "I'm not sure what they'd ask for, but I think that alone would give us a lot of information. If we can find out what they want, it could be easier to stay on their good side." Unlike many others, Elizabeth wasn't against making deals with people deemed 'enemies.' Everyone had their reasons for their actions and decisions. She didn't judge. She only analyzed and assisted where she could.
Elizabeth
I am a product of my decisions.
